A Trainer's Resolve
by pr0dz
Summary: A tongue lashing from May of all people made Ash rethink his Pokemon training. Now with a brand new resolve, Ash Ketchum will do his very best to conquer the Sinnoh League! Alone Ash! Semi-Cold Ash!
1. New Resolve

**Summary: An indifferent Ash Ketchum travels in Sinnoh by himself. After a heated argument with May, Ash believes that having companions will hold him back his true potential. Smarter Ash/Indifferent Ash/OOC Ash**

Chapter 1: New Resolves

* * *

Ash Ketchum, a trainer from Pallet Town and striving to become a Pokémon Master witnessed his travelling companion May lose to Solidad, a Coordinator from Pewter City in the Semi-Finals at the Kanto Grand Festival. May never stood a chance due to Solidad having more experience in coordinating, thus her Munchlax and Combusken were defeated despite putting up a decent fight. She returned her Pokémon and ran off crying into the dress room, comforted by her friends. Ash felt sympathy for May and decided to console her as the group walked outside of the building. Too bad he won't know what's coming to him.

"May, I think you did great in this festival. Making it to the Semi-Finals and beating Drew is a good accomplishment. Not even I ever made it to the Top 4 and you did in your first year. I'm positive you will win the next one!" he said encouragingly. Brock and Max agreed and the former was about to add his two cents in but it was cut off by a pissed off May.

"Ash, the reason why I have lost is because of you holding me back with your useless gym battles! You have never trained your Pokemon that much and only made it to Top 8! Know what I think about you Ash _Ketchum_?! You are the **WORST TRAINER EVER!** " she screamed. Her rant caught attention from people walking by. Ash Ketchum reeled in shock at the backlash from his supposed friend. Sure, he loses his battles but he learns from them and he helped May become a good trainer/coordinator and this is the thanks he gets? Brock and Max were stunned beyond belief themselves, the latter shocked at how his older sister would talk to his idol like that. May walked to Max, forcefully grabbing his forearm and walked off, leaving Ash and Brock behind. The bystanders left shortly after. While Pikachu restrained himself from charging a Thunderbolt at May, Ash looked at the ground, the brim of his league cap overshadowing his upper face as his shoulders start shaking and his fists clenching and unclenching. Brock thought that Ash was crying and was about to comfort him until an emotionless laugh escaped from Ash's lips. He looked up to Brock, his eyes blank.

"So this is the thanks I get?" Ash quietly said, "Am I really a bad trainer Brock?" he asked his long-time friend since his Kanto journey. Brock looked at Ash like he grew a second head.

"No Ash, you are one of the best trainers and I know you will become the greatest trainer one day," Brock declared, "If May wants to ditch us, it's her loss. It doesn't change your goals in life Ash, and I'm sure you will pull through." It was true. He believed Ash will become the best there ever was. Deep down though, he had to agree with May that Ash hadn't trained hard enough but he hoped that Ash will use this as a motivation to get stronger. Indeed he was right. Ash's eyes were dancing in determination once again.

"Thanks Brock, I knew I could always count on you. If anything, May was holding me back," Ash said with a slight icy edge in his tone, "She had a point that I haven't trained my Pokémon much but that doesn't excuse her to criticize me," he finished. Brock smiled and nodded. "That's good Ash. I didn't want to smack some sense into you," Brock jested. They both shared a chuckle. Ash stopped as he looked at the sunset. Silence reigned except the people walking and chatting.

Ash broke the silence. "I guess I can start training tomorrow because I need to get prepared for my rematch against Brandon," Ash said. Brock nodded. "Good idea. We need to find a Pokémon Center. It's almost nighttime." Both trainer and breeder walked down the road to find the Pokémon Center.

* * *

 **30 minutes later…**

Brock and Ash made it to the Pokémon Center just right before the sun came down. Brock went to a room on the left, but Ash could have sworn he had heard Brock exclaiming his love. Shaking his head from what he assumed Brock's doing, Ash walked to his bedroom. He brushed his teeth and changed into his pajamas, consisting of a white T-Shirt and lavender-like blue boxers. He laid down on his guest bed with Pikachu. Before Ash went to sleep he turned to Pikachu. "Pikachu, I'm sorry that I didn't bring out your full potential. I promise you that from now on, I will make you and our friends stronger," Ash silently exclaimed. Pikachu nodded with a 'pika' and raised his paw up. Ash chuckled and said good night to him.

 **Next Morning**

Sunlight penetrated through the curtains and landed on Ash's upper face. Said boy stirring awake due to the irritable light. He carefully rubbed Pikachu awake to start a new day. Ash got up and took a quick shower, put his Hoenn attire on except the hoodie and walked off to find Brock. Ash and Pikachu looked around until they have found Brock on the floor, groaning. Ash sighed and helped Brock back up. Brock nodded and whispered a quick thanks before straightening himself up.

"You found some girls again?" Ash asked rhetorically. Brock nodded. "Yup. I can't help it Ash. They are just too beautiful to ignore. How come you're not looking for a girl Ash? Aren't you 13 already?" Brock asked. Ash's left eyebrow twitched while a slight vein popped in his temple. "No Brock, I don't have time for love right now and I've been pretending to be oblivious about love since Misty travelled with us," Ash said. Brock was a bit surprised at the new revelation. _'I guess I was a fool for believing that Ash was as dense as a rock.'_ Brock inwardly said. Ash, Pikachu, and Brock walked to a table after grabbing breakfast. As they were eating, Ash suddenly had a thought in mind. "Hey Brock, I think I know who to use for the battle against Brandon. I have no doubt he has a Regice and a Registeel and both types have a common disadvantage," Ash suddenly said. Brock rose an eyebrow. The only Pokémon types that could defeat an Ice type and a Steel type are Fighting types and

"You're planning to use a Fire type?" Brock asked. Ash nodded. Then a smirk appeared on his face. "Then you'll know who I am planning to use right?" Ash asked. It took Brock a couple of moments to catch on who Ash is using and matched his smirk. Both continued to eat their food silently. Ash had already finished his meal so he grabbed his backpack and jogged to find a clearing in the forest.

* * *

 **10 minutes later**

Ash had finally found a clearing. It consisted of trees and stumps. It's perfect to train his Hoenn Pokémon. Before Ash could train them, Ash picked some Oran berries to give them breakfast - except Pikachu who ate back at the center - because Brock is still eating his breakfast. Ash grabbed all his 5 Pokéballs and out came Corphish, Swellow, Sceptile, Donphan, and his newly caught Aipom. All Pokémon were staring at Ash, wondering what their next agenda is today. Ash placed the Oran berries on the ground so they could have their energy filled up. Said Pokémon cheered while digging in their food. It only took five minutes for them to finish. Ash sat up and walked to them. The Pokémon gave him their attention.

"Alright guys, today I have some things to tell you. As of yesterday, May has left us, claiming that I am the worst trainer ever and I am the reason why she lost at the festival. She said I held her back," The Pokémon were shocked at first, then replaced with outcries of anger. 'How dare that witch tell Ash that he's the worst!' were their thoughts. Ash held up a hand to silence them.

"Anyway, I've been thinking now and I realized that I could have done a better job training you guys. If I trained you guys more, we would have won the Hoenn League. I promise that we will get stronger and the next league, we will win for sure!" Ash declared. His Pokémon chanted their names in agreement.

 **Late afternoon**

Ash had been working on his Pokémons' strengths and weaknesses. Swellow has been doing resistance training from thunderbolts and ice beams. Ash also remembered the technique Winona the Fortree Gym Leader used with her Pelipper. Pelipper used Steel Wing on the ground as a conductor to not get hurt by Pikachu's thunderbolt. Conveniently, Charizard arrived and as usual, greeted Ash with a Flamethrower. He was shocked at what Ash told him and his dedication to training his Pokémon to the fullest. Ash asked his Charizard to help teach Swellow Steel Wing. Swellow had a little glow on his wings but he hasn't fully mastered it yet. Swellow also has increased his speed and strength and is now capable of performing a quick Aerial Ace.

Corphish has been practicing his Crab Hammer and speed. Ash used his Pokédex to look up possible moves Corphish can learn. It turns out Corphish could learn Dragon Dance because his mother is a Kingdra or a Dragonair and Metal Claws. Ash knew that it will be impossible for Corphish to learn it due to Ash having no Pokémon that could use those moves. Instead, Corphish practiced his Harden and it eventually turned into Iron Defense.

Sceptile began his own training exercise. It varied from speed increase to stamina increase. The speed paid off and Sceptile has learned Agility. Currently, Sceptile is working on learning Iron Tail. Pikachu came up and offered Sceptile to learn Iron Tail. Sceptile immediately accepted the offer because he likes to have a good surprise attack against Ice type Pokémon. Sceptile could only make his tail glow so far. Ash smiled in pride at Sceptile's progress. If Sceptile keeps up his training, he could definitely take on Regirock.

Donphan's progress didn't really change. The training spot Ash picked didn't have any big rocks or mountains to roll on. So all Donphan did was increase his power and speed on Rollout. While Donphan worked on his Rollout, Ash looked up in his Pokédex and smirked at the possible moves Donphan can learn. He is definitely going to find a rocky environment. Fortunately, Ash is going to the Fennel Valley for his rematch against Brandon and the valley has big rocks for Donphan to learn some Rock type moves.

Aipom was the most energetic and dedicated of all. She worked hard on her Focus Punch and can now do a quick one as a surprise attack. Aipom also learned a new move and it surprised Ash. She held up her hands and a familiar black ball with spinning sharp purple aura around it and threw the ball at the tree. Ash was proud of Aipom for learning Shadow Ball and decided in the future to buy treats for her the next time he goes to a town.

Pikachu seems to not have changed in progress but Ash knows his #1 partner better. Pikachu abandoned Quick Attack and picked up Agility again but this time, Agility was faster than ever, giving him the advantage to outdo huge Pokémon. Pikachu had also manipulated his electricity and created an electrifying Iron Tail. Ash kept it as an ace and didn't even tell Brock about it. Deciding to call it a day, Ash recalled his Pokémon except his Pikachu of course and walked back to the Pokémon Center to find Brock. As he walked in, he saw Brock attempting to flirt with a woman in her late teens who is wearing a Hawaiian outfit. Ash shook his head at his friend's antics. Nothing will ever change about Brock when it comes to women. Ash was shocked when the woman turned him down. Brock then went to a corner and broke down comically. Ash sweatdropped and shook his head and instead decided to go take a quick shower so he gave his Pokémon including Pikachu to Nurse Joy and went upstairs.

If not for the fact that the woman noticed him and ran up to him and poked him on the shoulder. Ash turned around and rose his eyebrow at what the lady needed. She smiled at him.

"I was wondering if your name is Ash Ketchum. Are you him?" she asked. Ash nodded. She continued. "Is it true that you are doing the Battle Frontier? I heard that you've beaten an Articuno," she said. Ash nodded again. "I thought no one would pay attention to that at all. And who are you miss…?" Ash asked. "My name is Phoebe and I'm part of the Elite 4 in the Hoenn region. The moment I found you here I wanted to battle you but since I saw you recalling your Pokémon, I assume they are all tired. So I guess I'll ask you tomorrow," Phoebe said. Before she turned, Ash called her back. "I have one Pokemon that isn't tired and I believe he is eager to battle," Ash said. Phoebe smiled at him and gestured him to follow her. Ash told her to wait while he called Professor Oak then called Brock to referee the match. Brock instantly broke his comical despair and followed his friend. Unknown to them, few people around them heard what they were exchanging and followed them with their friends, forming a mini crowd.

* * *

 **Grass Battlefield**

After what seemed to be forever, Ash and Phoebe finally found a battlefield. The following crowd staying oblivious to the three trainers. Ash gave Pikachu to Brock, who allowed Pikachu to sit on his shoulder. Both stood on each platform with a Pokéball out. Brock walked to the center and performed his well-known referee skills.

"This is a 1 on 1 battle between Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town and his opponent Phoebe. Call out your Pokémon and begin!" Brock exclaimed. Phoebe pulled out her Pokéball and out came a Ghost type Pokémon that has 1 horn protruding from the middle, three fingers, flat arms, and a zipper for a mouth. It was a Banette. Ash threw out a familiar Dual Grass/Poison type Pokemon. He has red eyes, blue dot-like patterns, and a green bulb on his back. It was his friend Bulbasaur. Brock raised an eyebrow at Ash's choice but he wouldn't judge so he raised his hand down to begin the battle.

"You can have the first move Ash," said Phoebe. Ash nodded. "Alright. Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf!" Bulbasaur chanted his name and threw sharp leaves from his body towards Banette.

"Banette, dodge and use Shadow Ball!" Phoebe commanded. Banette formed the Shadow Ball in her hands and chucked it towards Bulbasaur. Ash grunted as the Shadow Ball comes towards Bulbasaur like a comet. Before it strikes, Ash yelled out a command.

"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip to catch the Shadow Ball and throw it back!" Bulbasaur nodded and two vines stretched out from Bulbasaur's back, catching the Shadow Ball. With brute force, Bulbasaur pushed it back to Banette. Phoebe watched in awe as Banette's own attack strikes her. Banette was damaged but can still battle.

"Banette, use Will-O-Wisp!" Phoebe yelled out. Banette nodded and conjured a few balls of blue fire and threw it at her opponent.

"Dodge, then use Leech Seed!" Bulbasaur aimed his bulb like a turret and shot out a brown seed towards Banette.

"Banette, dodge with a Faint Attack!" Banette disappeared as the Leech Seed went past her and phased in front of Bulbasaur and rammed him. Bulbasaur grunted as the hit took a good amount of his health. Ash contemplated on how to get away from Faint Attack. Ash looked up at the sky and sees that the sun is shining brightly. _That's it!_ He thought.

"Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf!" Bulbasaur once again threw the sharp leaves at Banette. Phoebe chuckled. To her, it was over. "Banette, finish this with another Faint Attack!" Banette once again dodged the incoming attack and phased right in front of Bulbasaur. Before she could hit him, Ash yelled out another move.

"Use Vine Whip to hold Banette!" Bulbasaur used his vines to hold onto Banette by her arms. Phoebe was stunned at the bizarre move. "Banette break away!" she yelled. Ash smirked. It was over. "Bulbasaur, Solar Beam full power!" Bulbasaur chanted his name as his bulb began forming white energy. Due to the sunlight, the energy became full instantly and Bulbasaur launched his Solar Beam. Banette suffered severe damage and was pushed to the ground. She was struggling to get up but her trainer's chants encouraged her to get back up. Banette will not disappoint her trainer. She glared at Bulbasaur and smirked. Phoebe matched her Pokémon's smirk.

"Ash, you've amazed me. I've never been pushed this far in a battle. Too bad the match has to be over," Phoebe declared. Ash was confused until he heard Bulbasaur cry out in pain as fire surrounded him. Ash was shocked. _'But how?! Bulbasaur charged his Solar Beam and…'_ It dawned in realization to Ash that Banette used Will-O-Wisp to Bulbasaur as the Solar Beam was complete. _'Of course. I should have been more careful and Bulbasaur will suffer because of me.'_ Ash thought. Bulbasaur struggled to get up but fell down with swirls in his eyes. Ash sighed and recalled Bulbasaur in his Pokéball. "You did great buddy. Have a good rest," he whispered as he tucked the ball back in his pocket. Then Ash heard cheering. He paled. Ash turned to his left and saw a crowd of people clapping and chanting "ASH!" to him. Some guys ran to Ash and lifted him up. Brock smiled at this. Even though Ash lost, he did better than most. As the guys put Ash down, said boy looked to Phoebe walking towards him. She put her hand forward. "It was a great battle Ash. Never before have I seen a trainer go that far with his Pokémon and your style of battling intrigues me. You have some serious potential Ash and I know you can beat Brandon," Phoebe smiled. Ash smiled back and shook hands with her. "Thank you for the battle, Phoebe. I'm glad I've had this chance of battling an Elite. Next time you hear of me, I'm going to be stronger than before!" Ash declared. Phoebe smiled and did what caught everyone off guard and made Brock go into depression again. She walked up to Ash and kissed him on the cheek. Ash was slightly blushing and had a confused look. Phoebe smirked coyly. "If only you were five years older Ash. That's just my way of giving good luck to trainers. I'll be seeing you," she said and walked out. Ash then turned to Brock, who got out of his depression again and hugged Ash tightly. "I'm so proud of you Ash! Already having older women going after you," he exclaimed, comical tears rolling down his face. Ash sweatdropped.

* * *

 **Next Week**

Ash and Brock began their journey onto Fennel Valley after Ash has trained up his Pokémon. Ash switched out his Hoenn team and brought his Johto team the second day. He was surprised that they were keeping up their own training and even more shocked when he saw a Quilava and a Croconaw. When evolving, Quilava learned Flame Wheel, Eruption, and Aerial Ace. Croconaw himself has learned Ice Beam from Ash's Glalie and replaced Bite with Crunch. Heracross didn't evolve but he learned Fury Attack and Focus Punch. Ash assumed that Aipom helped Heracross learn it. Then Ash brought his Kanto Team next and he was surprised at Tauros. He learned Solar Beam from Bulbasaur, Flamethrower from Quilava, and Ice Beam from Glalie. Tauros will be a surprising Pokémon in the future. Ash then randomly calls out any of his Pokémon by who needs the most training and improvement. Brock was amazed by Ash's work and has no doubt that Ash will show the world his very best.

As Ash and Brock finally make it to the Valley, they saw a familiar Pyramid landing.

Brandon has arrived.

And Ash is ready for the battle.

 **Chapter 1 already done! Since there isn't that much fictions that has Ash doing Sinnoh by himself, I figured I'll take a crack at it myself. And there are some things that will make this story different from the Anime.  
**

 **1.) The movies where Ash has met legendary Pok** **émon are NOT canon except for Ho-Oh and Mewtwo. I don't consider Ash some prophecy because he is a normal trainer like everyone else. His game counterpart wasn't special either so why Ash?**

 **2.) Ash won't travel with Dawn as the summary indicated that. I want Ash to go on a solo journey and improve himself without distractions.**

 **3.) Sadly, Brock isn't here because technically he shouldn't have returned in Hoenn. If Misty is gone, why is Brock around? I think there should have been a new protagonist while Ash can be seen in cameos challenging Elites as he grows up in movies or specials.**

 **4.) After Phoebe, Ash will not meet any Elite or even interact with Cynthia until Team Galactic becomes a threat. I want him to be his own character and not know everyone famous. Lance is an exception because he helps crime. G-Men I think? Ash wouldn't be surprised if he meets one as shown when he saw Phoebe. The reason why Ash lost to Phoebe is because I never recalled Bulbasaur training at the ranch so he couldn't possibly win _that_ easily. I also don't want Ash overpowered especially when he uses his Sinnoh Pok** **émon.**

 **Anyway, I don't know when I will work on Chapter 2, but I hope I don't get lazy like last month. Peace!**


	2. Frontier Battle

**New Chapter of Ash's Resolve. Before you read, if you're interested, I've created my first crossover of DBZ/DC. Check it out if you want. s/11545313/1/Universal-Clash-Dragon-Ball-vs-DC**

 **The battle is here!  
**

Ash Ketchum looks up at the Pyramid with a smirk. The hovering quivers in silence as the Pyramid has been set in place. Ash turned to Pikachu. "Well buddy, I guess this is it. Let's do our all!" Ash cheered. Pikachu raised his paw up too with a determined smile. Brock smiled. _'Good luck Ash. Show Brandon your power.'_

As Ash and Brock approached the Battle Pyramid, they see a familiar man who is wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses. Ash smiled as he walked up to him. "Hey Scott! It's been a while!" Ash greeted. Scott nodded. "Same to you Ash. Have you been training to beat Brandon? I can tell you've been getting stronger." He said. Scott then noticed May and Max are not with them. "Hey, what happened to May and her brother? Are they catching up or something?" Scott asked with concern. The atmosphere suddenly dropped 10°. Ash's eyes hardened when May was mentioned. No matter how many times he tried to forget her, Ash still hadn't let go of the incident and he was sure May will pay one day. Scott was taken aback by Ash's change in mood. He wondered what had happened between them.

Brock answered for Ash attempting to calm the situation. "Scott, Ash and May had some... fall-out last week and it caused some problems for Ash. I think it's best we drop this," Brock explained calmly. Scott raised his eyebrow in curiosity but accepted the explanation. Just like that, the temperature turned back to normal. Ash sighed and ran off into the Pyramid with Brock following him closely. Instead of finding Brandon, Ash sees a Nurse Joy. However, this Nurse Joy seems different due to her smile. It reminded Ash of the various trainers he had fought before which is why he is unnerved by this Nurse Joy.

Brock on the other hand, usually he would be smitten every time he sees a beautiful woman, particularly Nurse Joy, but in this case he too felt unnerved by her smile. The Nurse Joy noticed Ash and ran up to him. "I know who you are! You're the Ash Ketchum that made it to the Top 8 in the Ever Grande Conference. It's very nice to meet you!" said the unusually exuberant Nurse Joy while she was shaking Ash's hands. Said trainer looked a bit freaked out but nonetheless smiled back albeit reluctant. Nurse Joy also showed him the pictures she had taken which consisted of Ash's battles. "Can I get an autograph too Ash? It will help me complete my scrap book of hotspot trainers I have met." She asked nicely. Ash shrugged and wrote his autograph and gave the book back after. Ash then turned to Scott as he and Brock caught up to where Ash went.

"There you are Ash. Why did you go off like that? I was going to walk you to Brandon for the rematch." Scott asked. Ash sheepishly smiled. "Sorry Scott, I was too excited for the battle and I couldn't control myself. Can you please show me the way?" Ash asked. Scott smiled and gestured his hand to follow.

Meanwhile, Brandon has been sitting for a while waiting for his challenger. It has been at least 10 minutes and he was beginning to get impatient. His inner rant has been cut as he hears footsteps coming in. Brandon turns and sees Ash and Brock but noticed that he doesn't see the other two kids. Ash walked up to Brandon and smiled.

"Hey Brandon, sorry for the wait. I got lost on the way so Scott helped me find the battlefield." Ash said. Brandon would have scolded Ash but he decided to give him slack. "It's fine Ash. Have you been training for the rematch?" Brandon asked. Ash nodded. "Yeah, I have been training for a week. By the way, I want to do a 2 on 2 battle." he requested. Brandon was surprised confused. "How come Ash? I thought you wouldn't mind doing a 1 on 1." He asked. Ash shook his head. "You're right but I know that you will battle with either Registeel or Regice so I have decided that I want to battle both of them!" Everyone was shocked at Ash's words. If Brock's eyes were visible, it would have displayed his shocked expression.

Brandon recovered from his uncharacteristic display of shock and nodded. "Very well Ash, I accept your request. Let's begin our battle now." With that, the opponents walked to their battle positions.

The Pyramid Referee makes his appearance. "Now, the Battle Pyramid Frontier Battle rematch is just about to begin. Our challenger on the left is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" Ash nodded, his face firm and serious. The referee turned to his right. "On the right corner, the man of the hour, he's the Frontier Brain of the Battle Pyramid: the Pyramid King Brandon!" Brandon's face was as stoic as ever.

"This is a 2 on 2 Pokémon Battle. Both you may bring out your Pokémon and begin!" Immediately, both trainer and Fronter Brain reached their pockets and grabbed their Pokéballs.

"Registeel, I need your assistance!" exclaimed the Pyramid King. A big metallic Pokémon appeared on the battlefield. It has dots in the middle like its rocky counterpart but aligned differently and is red colored. Ash threw out his familiar and notable Pokémon from his journey in Kanto.

"Charizard, I choose you!" he shouted as the Flame Pokémon appeared. "RAAAAGH!" Charizard roared as he shot a flamethrower in the air to show his dominance. Brock was amazed at Charizard's growth. _'To think he used to disobey Ash and now he's stronger than last time.'_ Brock thought. Ash smirked at Charizard's power. Brandon also hid a smirk at Charizard's power. It seems he has found a worthy opponent to match Registeel.

Since Ash is the challenger, he has the first move. "Charizard, use Flamethrower!" He commanded. Charizard immediately executed a blank shot Flamethrower, directly hitting Registeel. However, Registeel doesn't seem affected by the attack despite having a type disadvantage. After the Flamethrower dissipated, it turned out Registeel was hardly damaged.

"Registeel, use Lock-On!" Brandon yelled. Registeel's red lights glowed and formed a red circle in his arms. The red circle landed on Charizard, making it inevitable for Charizard to take damage.

Brock was getting worried for Ash. "Charizard won't be able to dodge this one. This isn't looking good for Ash." He said. Scott smiled. "Don't worry Brock, Ash knows what he is doing. I'm sure Ash will find a way out of this." Scott reassured. Brock nodded but is still worried.

"Now use Zap Cannon!" Brandon commanded. Registeel formed a bluish-green electrical orb and chucked it towards Charizard, hitting successfully. A dust cloud formed around Charizard as Brock was beginning to get worried. What occurred next made Brandon wear a shocked expression the second time.

"Charizard, charge at Registeel and use DragonBreath!" Charizard roared and flew in a corkscrew and shot a powerful dragon breath in front of Registeel, pushing the Iron Pokémon a few yards back. When the attack stopped, Registeel rested on one leg from the attack. It was caught off guard but it can still battle.

"That was quick thinking of Ash. I almost forgot this is Charizard. His Charizard is known for resisting attacks." Brock said. Scott nodded. "I see. I remember Ash's Charizard beating Articuno so maybe he is able to beat Registeel." Scott said. Brock nodded at that. After all, Charizard has the advantage for both Ice and Steel.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!" Charizard once again gathers the flame inside his mouth. Before he could execute his move, Brandon chuckled.

"Very impressive Ash, but it's time to show me what you got." He said and looked at Registeel. "That's our signal! Registeel, use Sandstorm to return the Flamethrower towards Charizard." Registeel twirled around and created a devastating sandstorm. The sandstorm collided with the Flamethrower and it combined into a Flaming storm. The combined force struck Charizard, giving the Flame Pokémon serious damage. Ash couldn't help but awe at Brandon's amazing strategy.

"Sometimes, my opponent's attack is used to deal the final blow. That's how strategy is used." Brandon said and smirked. Ash scowled at how his own mistake.

"Registeel, Sandstorm again!" Brandon repeated. Registeel kept throwing multiple Sandstorms at Charizard. Charizard's growls echoed in the stadium. Ash began thinking on getting Charizard out. If Registeel keeps throwing Sandstorms, what is the best way to counter it? A smile crept up to Ash.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower to throw the Sandstorm back at Registeel!" Charizard roared and blew the Flamethrower along with the Sandstorm. Brandon however, wasn't going to give up.

"If you want to match up on wills, that's fine with me! Registeel use Sandstorm to push back!" The battle is now a tug of war consisting Flamethrowers and Sandstorms. The funnel kept increasing while the Pokemon were executing their moves. Eventually, Charizard's will was stronger and the combined force swallowed Registeel. Brandon didn't order Registeel to do anything and the Iron Pokémon understood his trainer's intentions so he allowed himself to get inside of the funnel. Ash was confused but kept his guard up.

"Now use Zap Cannon!" Brandon commanded. The electrical orb soared out of the Sandstorm-Flamethrower combination quickly towards Charizard. Ash smirked. It was game over.

"Charizard go inside the funnel and grab Registeel!" Brandon, for the third time, was shocked once again as Charizard went straight through the funnel and held a firm grip on Registeel. Before Brandon could even do anything, Charizard's roar made him look up and was shocked that Charizard is able to hold Registeel in the air!

"Charizard, let's finish this! Use Seismic Toss!" Charizard roared and spinned downwards along with Registeel. It caused a big black dust cloud which took a while to dissolve. Charizard flapped his wings to get rid of the cloud as Registeel is shown on the floor not moving. The referee raised his hand.

"Registeel is unable to battle, this round goes to Charizard!" Ash smiled and Charizard flew back to Ash, both cheering and exchanging a fist pump.

Brock was shocked but then smiled and clapped. "Ash has done it. Registeel was a tough opponent but I knew Ash would prevail." He said. Scott also smiled. "Ash used a stroke of genius to catch Registeel off guard. Ash gave it his all along with Charizard and secured the win." He said wisely. Brock nodded in agreement. _'Ash has truly grown as a Pokémon trainer'_ Brock mentally said.

"You said it Brock. I'm proud of him. He went from a trainer that overslept his first day to an upcoming Pokémon Master," said a familiar voice. Brock turned and was surprised to see Professor Oak.

"Professor?! When did you get here?" Brock asked.

Oak shrugged. "I was here the moment the battle started. You must have been too focused on the battle." Brock sheepishly nodded.

Brandon returned Registeel back into his Pokéball. "Well Ash, I commend you for beating Registeel. Your Charizard is exceptionally powerful." He said as he pulled another Pokéball. "Now it's finally your turn Regice, I need your assistance!"

Out from Brandon's Pokéball came a Pokémon composed of Antarctic ice that resembles a crystal. Its face has an unusual pattern consisting of seven yellow dots in a "+" formation. It has four spikes on its back. Its legs are conical and it balances its entire body on those two points. There are three fingers on each of its cylindrical arms.

Ash smirked at the strength of the Iceberg Pokémon. He was confident that Charizard is able to take down Regice. Charizard shared the same confidence.

"Regice, use Blizzard let's go!" Regice made a swiping motion with his arm and a raging blizzard went towards Charizard. It hit the Flame Pokémon but it didn't really damage much except frosting his wings, which went unnoticed by everyone else.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Charizard roared out the flames towards Regice. It was a direct hit, but it seems there wasn't any damage.

"Regice, use Ice Beam!" Regice unleashed his ice beam point blank range at Charizard. The attack was faster than the usual move itself.

"Dodge Charizard!" Charizard flew up and narrowly dodged the attack but his left wing was hit, making him fall down. The stage was becoming more of an ice field every time Regice uses his ice beam. Charizard's wings were becoming coated with ice.

"Regice, use Ice Beam in the air!" Regice unleashed another ice beam and Charizard couldn't dodge it so he took it head-on and spiraled downwards. Ash was shocked when Charizard was struggling to get back up.

' _How will I get Charizard out of this mess?'_ thought the Kanto native trainer. Ash began recalling his dark hour moments throughout his battles. He suddenly remembered Charizard turning the tides against Gary's Blastoise back in the Johto League.

Brandon looked at Ash in a patronizing way. "Ash, you have done well but it seems Charizard has lost his fighting spirit. Regice, use Rest!" Regice sat down and a soothing aura surrounded him.

Ash looked at Charizard. He began remembering their moments together in battle. From nearly dying when he was a Charmander, evolving into Charmeleon, evolving into Charizard while facing Aerodactyl, using Seismic Toss against Dragonair, his Flamethrowers against Ash, and even defeating Articuno. "Charizard, we have been through too much together and you have worked hard getting stronger. Well, now it's time to step up and prove our fighting spirit. Show what you are made of Charizard!" Charizard remained unresponsive. It seems Ash's message didn't get through to him.

The referee began declaring the match over. "Charizard is unable to-"

" **RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWGH!"** The deafening roar reached the ceiling and vibrated in all places. Ash was surprised to see his faithful fire-type standing back up. " **RAAAAAAGH!** " Charizard's tail ignited a bigger fire than before. Ash smiled when he saw this. _'That's Blaze! Way to go Charizard'_

"Charizard, let's start this with a supercharged Flamethrower!" Charizard roared loudly as he blew the flames towards not only Regice but the area as well. Brandon was surprised at Charizard's determination. _'I guess he does have his fighting spirit.'_

Regice woke up after taking damage from the Flamethrower, despite having its rest. Brandon was getting worried about Regice. "Regice use Focus Punch on the Ice." Regice began punching the ice pillars and it was aiming towards Charizard.

"Charizard, dodge and use Steel Wing!" Charizard dodged in an arch motion and picked up his speed while his wings glowed. Regice couldn't dodge the attack and tried blocking, failing miserably.

"Steel Wing, which is a Steel type move has an advantage against Ice types. Ash has grown into a skilled trainer." Brock said. He was impressed of Ash having the knowledge of type advantages.

Brandon gritted his teeth. "Regice, use Ice Beam!" Regice desperately attempted to make another ice beam but was interrupted by Charizard's proximity. Ash smirked, understanding what Charizard was going to do.

"Charizard, you know what to do. Grab Regice and fly up." Charizard roared and lifted Regice into the air. Regice was trying to knock Charizard off-course but gave up, knowing his fate.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower on yourself and finish it with a Seismic Toss!" Charizard threw his flames, covering himself and Regice, representing a funnel. The fire version of Seismic Toss came down like a rocket, creating a huge dust cloud. Ash and Brandon covered themselves as the dust was getting into their eyes. Moments, later the clouds evaporated. There laid both Regice and Charizard, not moving at all.

The referee was shocked and stammering but regained his composure. "Both Pokémon are unable to battle! With only one Pokémon left, the winner is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!"

Ash was on his knees. He had finally did it. He won the Battle Frontier!

Charizard woke up and sat on his bottom. He beat two legendary Pokémon and it wasn't an easy feat. Ash walked up to Charizard and gave him a hug. Charizard smiled and performed a flamethrower in the sky.

Brandon recalled his Regice. "That was brave fighting friend." He walked up to Ash. "That was excellent Ash. You battled with an original style that is yours and yours alone. I am pleased to present the Brave symbol." It was a gold medal with four triangles in a square position. Ash received the symbol and jumped into the air.

 **Outside of Battle Pyramid**

It was sunset and everyone gathered outside. Scott smiled at Ash as he held up a plaque, which contained all of the frontier symbols.

"Congratulations Ash, you have conquered all seven of the Battle Facilities. You are now a member of the Battle Frontier Hall of Fame." Ash smiled at Scott. "It's a real honor for me Scott," he responded.

"It would be an even bigger honor if you can consider being a Frontier Brain like the rest of us. What do you say?" Scott offered. Ash was shocked at the opportunity. However, he knew that he still has his journey on becoming a Pokémon Master. He couldn't just stop and settle being a Frontier Brain.

"Thanks Scott, but I still have my journeys and I also have lots of people I haven't battled yet. I also have my dream to become a Pokémon Master too." Scott nodded in understanding. Professor Oak chuckled. "To be honest, I didn't expect anything different from you Ash." Ash sheepishly smiled.

"Good luck Ash. I hope that one day we will engage in battle once more. You have potential too young man. Don't waste it." Ash thanked him.

The Pyramid flew off as Ash and Brock looked into the sky. "I guess we should get going Brock. What's the closest place?" Brock looked at the map. "We should head to Terracotta Town first. Then we part ways." Ash felt a little sad but nodded. _'Yeah… part ways…'_

 **About 3k words. ATP coming soon.**


	3. Beginning Of A Solo Journey

**Sorry for another delay. I'll try to make Chapter 4 as soon as possible. I have been lazy again and at the same time re-watching episodes of Pokémon to get a better idea on how I can improve while writing chapters.**

 **Terracotta Town**

Ash and Brock are currently walking down Terracotta Town. The seaside town is situated below a range of steep cliffs, resulting in several rivers which the town has cultivated around. The streets are decorated with streamers and bustling with concessionary stands.

Recently, Ash had finally beaten Brandon. Not only that, he also defeated two legendary Pokémon and it only took one Charizard to do it all. He felt kind of guilty that Pikachu didn't get to battle Regice but his starter didn't seem to mind. Although he has a feeling that Pikachu will eventually battle a legendary at some point in the future.

Ash also had Team Rocket in his sole thoughts due to their last encounter.

 _Flashback_

Right after Scott and Brandon left, Ash decided to do his business in a bush. Before he began to do his business, he freaked out when 3 familiar figures overshadowed him.

"GAH! What do you guys want now?!" Ash angrily asked as he fixed himself. The trio looked sheepish when they shushed Ash.

Jessie was the first to speak. "Well… you see…"

"We came here to let you know my team and I decided to quit. We realized our boss never cared for us much and we were practically dispensable in his eyes," spoke James. Ash was stunned but he knew better.

"How do I know this isn't another one of your schemes to capture Pikachu? After the pain I went through because of you for almost 4 years and now you guys suddenly quit? Sounds like a bunch of Tauros-"

"Ease it here, twe- Ash. We did change our ways even if you don't believe us. What James was trying to say is that we are sorry for chasing you all these years and we will never try to take Pikachu ever again," explained Jessie.

Ash still didn't believe them. But if anything else, this is the closest thing to a truce. "I still don't believe you guys but I'll consider this a truce for now. If I see you guys trying to steal my Pokémon or anybody's Pokémon again, Pikachu will be the least of your worries."

It's always best to show promise to send the message properly.

Team Rocket's bodies went white at the thought of an evil Pikachu attempting to fry them into crisps.

"Come on Ash! You don hafta do that! We will be good people from here on out!"

"A new day another shout!" exclaimed James.

"Team Rocket that's not what we're about!" shouted the Magenta-haired woman.

Ash sweatdropped. "Okay… well I guess I won't have to worry about you guys anymore."

Team Rocket waved it off as if they weren't offended. "We'll be cheering you along the way, Ash! You too, Pikachu!"

"Pika!"

 _End Flashback_

Ash slowly trotted behind Brock as he thought over having to part ways with his older-brother figure. He knew that he can't rely on him forever. The Kanto-Native trainer is approaching age 14. He knew he should be old enough to become more independent in his life.

' _Perhaps I should learn how to cook?'_ he thought. Ash stopped when he noticed Brock stopping for a few seconds. He looked at his friend's direction and slightly tensed.

Brock spotted a contest hall and looked at Ash. "Hey Ash, why don't you try out a contest for once? It might help you inspire some Pokémon moves in the future." He suggested, oblivious to his friend's distress. Ash thought of it over. He would have said no because it would just remind him of May but it might not be a bad idea.

"You're right Brock, let's go. I'll use you for both appeals and battle rounds Pikachu." Ash said as Pikachu nodded with a 'Pika'.

"Yes you can enter the contest young man. All you have to do is fill out this application here so you can participate," said the registration man, who is young and has brown hair and black eyes.

"Thank you so much! But do I have to be a Coordinator?" Ash asked. Contests was never his kind of thing. In fact, he doubted that he would be good at it. Then Ash remembered what Brock said about new moves. Hence why he is registering.

"No, you don't have to at all! It's an unofficial contest all trainers are welcome," the man said happily.

Ash smiled and signed his name in the paper. "Pikachu is definitely my partner for the Appeals round. Who do I pick for the second round?" Ash put his finger around his chin. "Oh! Definitely Sceptile!"

"The final match will be a battle between the top two Coordinators on the stage. Whoever comes out on top is the winner of the contest," said the Registrar.

Brock smiled. "Good luck out there Ash. I'm sure you will win this easily."

Ash turned to smirk at Brock. "Yeah, thanks Brock. I'll do my best!" "Pika Pika!" said Pikachu.

The crowd quieted down as the Registrar walked up to the middle of the battlefield and brought out his microphone.

"Hello everyone and welcome to the Terracotta Contest! I'd like to introduce your hostess and MC for the Terracotta Contest, your very own and wonderful Nurse Joy!"

The crowd cheered loudly as the Nurse Joy of Terracotta Town stood up from her seat and picked up her microphone.

"The winner of today's event will receive this handsome Terracotta Town Medal. Best of luck to every contestant! It's true that there is one winner but every one of you are #1!" Brock's eyes turned into hearts and professed his love to Nurse Joy… again.

In the contestant room, a certain Kanto-Native trainer somehow noticed Brock's entranced face and facepalmed. Pikachu doing the same.

"JOY! I'd compete for you! You're more beautiful than any ribbon!" Brock ran up right next to Joy and crouched down, holding her hand. "Promise me that I will be your first prize!"

The Nurse was too baffled to do anything. A few guards safely dragged Brock back to the audience. They gave him a fair warning not to do that again or else he will be removed from the building.

"Okay… I wish you all the best luck and be sure to have fun too!" The crowd cheered for the nurse as she sat back in her chair.

The following contestants were either decent or awkward to say the least.

What appears to be a fisherman, used his Magikarp in the Appeals round, only to fail deeply due to the Fish Pokémon flailing on the ground. Needless to say, the man grabbed his head in annoyance, as the crowd sighed.

A young lady wearing an apron and a yellow shirt and her Gloom failed as well. Her Gloom used Sleep Powder, which made Nurse Day and the Registrar fall asleep, indicating that she also lost. The lady began panicking hysterically in the process.

A performer of some sorts had a whip, which he used to command his Charmeleon. The Fire Lizard used Flamethrower to form it into a flaming circle and jumped through it like he was doing a circus act.

A Seel was using Ice Beam to create an icicle statue of some sort. The crowd roared loudly.

"Now that was an amazing bout to Coordinators and Pokémon alike! However, this final bout will be the best out of all," The Registrar spoke. The crowd was getting excited at the man's words.

"Our final contestant is none other than Kanto Region's Ash Ketchum! He is Pallet Town's pride and recently made Top 8 of the Ever Grande Conference! Let's give him our best wishes!"

Ash ran through the arena with Pikachu beside him as the crowd began chanting 'Ash!' as he stopped. Half of the female audience, mostly young teen girls squealed for Ash and wanted his autograph and held signs that had their phone numbers written on.

"Alright! Pikachu, let's give this our all. We'll show them how great our combination works not only in battles, but contests as well!" Ash declared. "Pika!" Pikachu cheered.

Ash curled his right hand into a fist. "Pikachu, jump into the air and spread your Thunderbolt across the arena!"

"Pika!" Pikachu leaped 20 feet in the air and used his red pouches to manipulate and expand his electricity. The crowd went deadly silent but were anticipating for Ash's next move. The thunder circled around the field whilst Pikachu was still in the air producing more electricity. The Thunderbolt turned into an electrical fence/field.

"Now use your Iron Tail and combine it with Thunderbolt. After that, aim the Iron Tail dead center!"

"Chuuu… PIKA!" Pikachu's tail glowed white and manipulated his electricity to center it into his metallic tail and somersaulted onto the ground. As his tail is on the ground, the electricity around Pikachu began centering around him as if Pikachu is a magnet.

The crowd's eyes widened. Brock was amazed by Ash's stroke of genius. _He made Pikachu a magnetic pole… amazing. Just what are you doing Ash?_

The Registrar was gobsmacked. "Amazing! Ash's Pikachu has ingeniously made himself an electric rod. What is Ash trying to pull? I certainly have no idea."

Nurse Joy however wasn't surprised. "He did make Top 8 in the League. His Pikachu is practically an elite level Pokémon."

"Alright, Pikachu now use another Thunderbolt and rotate as you do so," commanded Ash.

Pikachu began using Thunderbolt again. To his surprise, Pikachu's Thunderbolt came off as even bigger than before. The electricity around him began forming into an electrical tornado. However, the tornado is surprisingly not that large but only almost twice Pikachu's size.

"Okay Pikachu, finish this by using your Iron Tail to kick the Thunderbolt away!"

"Piiii-ka!" Pikachu corkscrew kicked the electricity off him. The crazy Thunder Tornado landed in the center and exploded into a drawing of Ash's head and Pikachu's head right next to him.

The crowd roared. Roared a lot more than before and even roared more than the Hoenn League.

The Registrar walked up to Ash with the Terracotta ribbon. "The winner of the contest is Ash Ketchum!" The crowd roared even higher for their Kanto-representing Pokémon trainer.

Ash was confused. "Excuse me sir, but I thought there is going be a Battle round. What happened to that?"

The Registrar smiled sheepishly. "I thought so too. However, when I checked into the area for the contestants, they all magically disappeared. Since you're the only one here, you win by default!"

Indeed he was right. The other contestants ran away, vowing to never encounter Ash and Pikachu in the future. The Registrar handed Ash the ribbon and walked off with Nurse Joy. To Ash's surprise and Brock's horror, they were holding hands as they walked off the arena.

Ash patted him on the back even though Brock was being overdramatic. The Breeder stopped his ridiculous sulking and smiled at Ash. "I'm proud of you Ash! Once again, you have become the attention of girls. You do listen to me!" Now Brock was embracing Ash tightly, making the Pallet native squirm.

"Alright Brock! Let me breathe for a second!" Ash pleaded. Brock immediately separated himself. "My bad Ash. I'm just proud to see how much of a heartbreaker you've become," Brock said. Ash raised an eyebrow. "I'll never understand why it's so important but I hope I'll never do. Anyway, Brock I guess it's time…" Brock knew what Ash meant and nodded silently. They along with Pikachu walked down the road.

 **Road Path – Viridian Forest Exit**

The two travelers walked down the pavement. The Pokémon around them consisted of Pidgey and Ratata. The trees were decorated with various berries that were usually used for medicinal purposes.

A sign that pointed two different paths stopped the travelers. They both stared at each other; the neither of them making any movement.

Ash broke the silence with a sigh.

"Well… this is it Brock. It was a good journey Brock and I'm happy I get to do it with you," Ash said, his voice cracking a bit. Brock knew how much Ash feels about him and it makes himself sad as well but he can't let Ash know about that. "Yeah, despite what _she_ did last week, in the end it was still a good adventure we had and I don't regret a thing."

Silence echoed in the air. Ash suddenly embraced Brock. A few tears escaped his eyes. "I-I'll m-miss you Brock. I'll give you a shout out when I win the next league! Trust that!" Brock reciprocated the hug while gently rubbing Ash's back. "It's ok Ash, I understand how you feel. I'm sure one day we will see each other again. I'll be seeing you by the time you win the next League," he said.

Ash broke the hug and wiped his tears. He smiled despite having tear marks under his eyes and curled his hand into a fist. "Don't worry Brock. From here on out, Ash Ketchum will never lose again!" Ash turned around and began running. He looked back at Brock and waved his hand. "Goodbye Brock! Thank you for everything!"

They both went their ways home. Ash and Pikachu ran all the way to the Viridian Forest. A screech echoed in the air. Ash and Pikachu looked up as they heard a couple of wings flapping. The pride of Pallet Town focused on the middle and saw a familiar bird Pokémon. The creature had a large, mostly brown avian Pokémon with a vulturine neck and broad, powerful wings. A Long, pointed, pink beak planed on its center and a decorative red coxcomb on top of its head. Its narrow eyes have very small pupils, and do not appear to have colored irises. It has shaggy, feathers on the base of its neck and covering the upper portion of its wings. These feathers are cream-colored, as are the tips of its flight feathers. Its sharp-clawed talons are pink, with three toes pointing forward and one pointing backward.

The Pokémon was Ash's nightmare: Fearow. The Pokémon that became vengeful over a pebble when it was a Spearow.

The aspiring Pokemon Master grimaced at the sight of Fearow and his platoon of Spearow. It seemed today will not be a good day for Ash and he knew this himself. He looked at Pikachu and nodded. Facing your fears is the usual solution.

That Fearow will not roam free anymore.

"Pikachu." The yellow rodent turned to his friend. "It's time we stop Fearow from wreaking havoc. Who knows what it's been doing while we were in Hoenn. Use Thunderbolt to knock out the Spearow."

Pikachu leapt off of Ash and somersaulted into the air. His red sacs sparked and yellow electricity emitted from him as it surrounded his body. The bolt of thunder crashed all the Spearow, connected as if it were circuits. One by one the Spearow fell down. The ring leader was stunned at his enemy's display of power but shook it off as mere luck. His elongated beak suddenly glowed white and his bodied rotated in a corkscrewed manner. The speed of the attack put Ash and Pikachu off guard.

Ash rolled out of the way but Pikachu took the attack. He yelped in pain but however, he managed to come back up, despite the pain coursing through his small body. The Kanto-Native trainer scowled at the Beak Pokémon. Just as Fearow began another Drill Peck, Ash immediately responded.

"Pikachu, use your tail to spring up into the air!" The Mouse Pokémon smacked his tail on the ground. As he propelled himself into the air, he did a 135 degree clockwise turn and changed his tail into an Iron Tail attack. Fearow did not see it coming and was careened back several feet. He used his talons to grab onto a tree branch and held his beak.

However, Ash was not having it. "Pikachu, use Agility to climb up the tree!"

"PikaPika!" Pikachu began running and used his paws to attach to the wooden material. His aura slightly turned white and made a blur. Just as Pikachu was about to hit Fearow with another Iron Tail, another screech echoed in the air. However, it seemed familiar.

Ash's mind went blank for a moment. There was only one Pokémon that made that noise. He looked up into the sky and was shocked at who it was.

The Pokémon was a bird just like Fearow but however, it was an avian-like Pokémon with large wings, sharp talons, and a short, hooked beak. Its glossy plumage was mostly brown with cream-colored underparts and flight feathers. Its plumage was also described as beautiful. Its head was decorated with a red and yellow crest nearly as long as its body. The fan-like feathers of its tail adorned a red color. Its beak and legs were pink, and angular black markings adorned around its eyes.

The wings appeared to be powerful. Every flap the avian made created breezes which made Ash hold his hat. The bird looked at Ash and screeched happily.

Ash smiled. "Man I'm so glad to see you Pidgeot!" The avian chirped and dove into Ash, crashing him down. She nuzzled into his neck, showing her unwavering affection to her master. Ash smiled and reciprocated the hug.

"You've grown big Pidgeot. How's the Pidgey and Pidgeotto you're protecting?"

The Bird Pokémon chirped loudly into the forest. Various squawks rustled around the trees. Ash was surprised that there were about ten other Pidgeot followed by platoons of Pidgeotto and Pidgey.

The aspiring Master proudly smiled at his old Pokémon. "That's amazing Pidgeot! I'm very proud of how far you've come without me. Say, after we deal with Fearow, you want to come back to the team?" Pidgeot squawked again and wrapped her feathers around her old friend, indicating it as a yes.

Ash rubbed her head as he stared his opponent. His visage went back to callous-mode. He took out his PokéDex and scanned Pidgeot. Yes, he had released her beforehand, but he never released her out of his PokéBall, which is safely in Oak's lab.

 **Pidgeot – Bird Pokémon**

 **Description: Pidgeot, the Bird Pokémon. The evolved form of Pidgeotto, it can fly at twice the speed of sound at an altitude of nearly one mile.**

 **Moves:**

 **Quick Attack**

 **?**

 **Gust**

 **Sky Attack**

Ash was astonished at Pidgeot's moveset. While she still retained Gust and Quick Attack, she apparently learned two different attacks. Ash was familiar with Sky Attack since it is from his region but the "?" he read in his PokéDex he'll have to ask Professor Oak later on.

He turned to Pidgeot. "Hey Pidgeot, you wanna battle like old times?" She cawed wildly and flew up into the air, ready for battle. Ash smirked. "Well, let's get started! Pidgeot, start off with Gust!"

"Grr *Caw* *Caw*!" The vengeful Fearow, who was holding his beak a while back managed to fly back up into the air. His new opponent was all too familiar but he did not have time to reminisce. He gasped as he felt powerful blows of air push him back further, the air directly careened to a large tree. Fearow groaned in pain once again due to not only the tree's material, but also the force of the wind. The Beak Pokémon once again fixed his composure and glared at Pidgeot. His wings glowed white and began flapping them rapidly. By then, crescent-shaped wind blades emitted from his wings. They appeared to be as fast as Pikachu's half powered running.

Ash gritted his teeth. "Pidgeot, dodge that Razor Wind with Quick Attack!" The Bird Pokémon did as she was told and blurred off leaving a white trail behind her. She bobbed and weaved majestically from each blade. To Ash's surprise, Pidgeot began using another move. She, like Fearow, flapped her wings in a rapid motion and also glowed white. Saw-like blades emitted from the lovely avian and zipped in Fearow's direction. The speed was too much for Fearow to dodge and he was engulfed in the attack. He began plummeting down akin to an airplane crashing down.

The Kanto-Native trainer smiled and cheered. "Great work Pidgeot! I knew you could win this!" Pidgeot chirped happily and dove towards her friend. Ash held his arms out to welcome her embrace.

Until a brown blur intercepted the elegant bird. The blur turned out to be an angry Fearow. His wings were white, indicating that he used Steel Wing. Ash scowled at the Beak Pokémon but remembered Pidgeot. He knelt down next to her and checked to see if she can still fight. Fortunately, she is okay but a bruise was formed around her left wing. With boiled anger, Ash looked at Fearow menacingly. His roasting chocolate orbs unnerved Fearow a little.

"I'm sorry Pidgeot but Pikachu and I will deal with Fearow from now on," he said. Ash expected Pidgeot to stand down and comply. However, it seemed he never knew her at all. Pidgeot smacked Ash over the head with her good wing and chirped at him as if a mother scolded her child. Pikachu, who was about five feet away snickered at Ash's expense.

Ash glared at his best friend but knew it wouldn't make an outcome. Sighing, he turned to Pidgeot. "Are you sure you can still battle? I don't want you to get any more damage." She nodded. The Kanto-Native trainer conceded. "Okay, Pidgeot let's wrap this up with Sky Attack!" The avian soared back right into the sky and her body glowed a mixture of orange and white. Her speed increased further as she bolted towards her opponent. Fearow, who was exhausted, couldn't do a damn thing and just took the attack.

Pallet Town's pride had no time to waste as he threw a PokéBall at the defeated Pokémon. The ball shook a few times until it did its signature ding.

Ash ran and picked up his capture. For the first time in his Pokémon journey, Ash did not do his signature cheer. He checked Pidgeot to make sure she is in good condition. The bruise was still there but it didn't bother Pidgeot at all.

Ash looked into the sky. It was close to dusk and he was close to his hometown. His mind was made up. No matter what, Pokémon was always Ash's priority in his life. Pidgeot, knowing what Ash was going to do, already bent down for Ash climb onto her back. Pikachu ran back into Ash's shoulder and they took off to Viridian City.

 **Another finished chapter. I guess I'll just answer some of my reviews.**

 **ramasioti100 – I know you like that Charizard is Ash's strongest Pokémon, but the game world and anime world are different for a reason. Otherwise, Cynthia would get rekt by any trainer that levels up their Pokémon. The 4** **th** **elite member got his shit rocked, he never stood a chance in that episode where Paul fought Cynthia. Maybe through Ash's new training, things might be different in Unova.**

 **kazikamikaze24 – I do know that I have to work on my grammar and I hope it improved in this chapter slightly.**

 **Blitzing02 – I appreciate the criticism and I'll try to work more onto the next chapter.**

 **Also guys, be sure to follow my crossover fanfiction!**

 **s/11545313/1/Universal-Clash-Dragon-Ball-vs-DC**

 **Until another time, pr0dz.**


	4. Mini Battles

**I'm back again and I am glad to bring you Chapter 4. Thank you guys for following my story. I appreciate the love.**

 **Can't be sure if I'll ever update this story as often… however I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Chapter 4: Preparations

Pallet Town's pride had finally made it to the center in a span of ten minutes. Pidgeot's flight speed improved significantly over the three years she and Ash had since separated and it proved to be beneficial now that the trainer had made it before nightfall. Ash had to put Pidgeot in a stretcher due to the fact that her PokéBall was still at Oak's lab. He also gave Fearow to Nurse Joy to heal him up. While that was happening, Ash walked up to one of the phone booths to talk with his mom.

After a few rings, a screen popped up, revealing a young woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties. She had brown hair that reached past her shoulders but kept in a ponytail. She looked at the face who called her at this time and her own visage brightened. Her baby boy was right in front of her!

"Ash! I was wondering when you will call. How are you?" Ash smiled back. No matter what, he missed his mother every time he went on a new journey. Ever since he left for the Indigo League, he was beginning to feel worried about his mother's well-being whenever the thought came to him. Now that Mr. Mime had moved in, he was sure she wasn't lonely anymore.

He responded. "I'm doing great mom. Sorry that I couldn't come home. There was a delay around the Viridian Forest and it was already sunset."

Delia initially would have reprimanded him but she knew better than to jump into conclusions. Her son was known for being reckless but this time it seemed something else happened altogether.

She looked at him warily. "What could have made you not come home? I already made dinner for you and now I find out that you're somewhere else." She sighed. "But I guess I owe you an explanation."

Ash had a relieved look on his face. He took a deep breath. "Okay mom. I was already running down the Viridian forest and then the Fearow that hated me since day one wanted to get revenge again. Pikachu and I were battling him until my old Pokémon Pidgeot came in and helped defeated him. We already won but she ended up with a bruise from Fearow, which is why I've decided to get her healed up instead along with Fearow because I decided to capture him to stop the Spearow flock from harassing everyone else."

His mother was surprisingly not shocked at her son's selflessness but rather his vocabulary. "Since when did you get so smart Ash?" A sly smirk appeared on her lips. "Could it be that Misty helped you more than just with your Pokémon training?"

Ash's temperature rose in immeasurable heights around his facial area. He had never felt that much embarrassment in his life. It seemed his mother knew that he wasn't as dense as people believed him to be. Delia's son fought back his blush and stared at her fiercely. "Mooom. Stop embarrassing me. I'm fourteen now." Ash's pout made Delia giggle.

She stopped her giggling as she stared at her son. "Well Ash, I have to get to bed right now. I'll seal up the dinner so you can eat it for breakfast okay?" Ash nodded. "Be sure to come back tomorrow by noon or I won't make any lunch for you young man."

Ash's face turned into stone. "Alright mom… see ya." She had already hung up before he finished his sentence. He sighed and got back up as he walked back to the catering area. He walked up to see Pikachu eating diming on his favorite condiment. Some of the red goop landed around his body. Ash rolled his eyes.

"Pikachu." The yellow rodent turned to his pseudo-brother. "I'll be going around for a walk. Do you want to tag along?" In an instant, Pikachu was already on Ash's shoulder.

Both trainer and Pokémon walked outside. After talking with his mother, Ash could now see it is nightfall. The stars sparkled luminously. Pokémon he's seen before in the custody of other trainers and civilians alike. The buildings increased overtime. It seemed to be a metropolis city by now. Ash had stopped walking when he noticed a person in a suit standing on a stage while holding a microphone. He decided to listen the announcer.

"Welcome to the annual Nightfall Tournament! As usual, all trainers are able to participate. Every trainer requires only one Pokémon. If you want to participate, walk up to this line right here and hold out your PokéBall." All trainers ranging from rookies to veterans walked up to the white line provided by the announcer. Ash's eyes shined in excitement and ran up to the line. He brought out Pikachu's PokéBall and held it firmly out with his baseball arm, indicating that Pikachu would be his choice for battle. Some trainers recognized Ash and began to whisper.

"It's that guy…"

"Yeah, it's Ketchum…"

"I heard he battled against an Elite Four member…"

Said Ketchum slightly sweated. He didn't think the match he had with Phoebe would spread that quickly. Sure, the battle was epic for anyone to see. A veteran trainer going toe to toe with an Elite and it was no ordinary Banette.

The announcer gave every trainer a piece of paper to write their names so he could put them all together in order to make the matches random. There were a total of eight trainers so four matches would be for the first round, two matches for the second round, and one last battle for the final round.

The battles were fast apparently. The first two lasted a minute or two due to that two of the opponents were veterans and the other two were rookies. The third one lasted five minutes, which was entertaining due to that both were veterans and only one barely managed to win.

Ash's battle came last and it was surprisingly the fastest match. Pikachu instantly defeated the trainer's Pokémon, which was a Geodude. He used a weak Iron Tail to mercifully knock out the Pokémon.

The second round was longer than the first round. The first semi-final match that consisted of two veterans was even more entertaining. The first trainer had a Poliwrath, whom easily defeated a Victreebel from the previous round. A type disadvantageous win is an accomplishment itself. The other trainer had a fierce Magmar. The battle ended with the latter trainer. The second and last semi-final match was disappointing for Ash. He faced against a fearful Charizard and Pikachu only had to spark his cheeks to make him yield. The audience felt a little amused at seeing a draconic Pokémon cowering a mere mouse.

Now it was the final match. Ash walked up to the battlefield. It was a grass field with glowing lights installed below. The PokéBall symbol etched itself in the center for the announcer to step on since he was also the referee. His opponent was a girl close to his age. She had brown hair that reached down the middle of her back. She wore a green top and a red skirt. She, like Ash also wore a Pokémon League Expo hat.

The girl looked familiar to Ash. She reminded him of a girl that used to tease him in primary school along with the other kids sans Gary, his best friend/rival. Ash put that thought away for now and prepared for his battle.

She smirked at Ash. "My my, it certainly has been forever Ashton. To think I'll be battling you here."

Ash's mind clicked. There was only one girl that would ever call him by his real name. "O-Olivia?! Is that you?!" Pikachu was confused by his friend's random outburst.

The now named Olivia smiled. "Took you a while to figure me out. But now's not the time for a reunion, I have a battle to win. Give me your all!"

Ash had a determined look on his face. He held up his fist. "Likewise!"

The referee knew it was his cue to start the match. "Let the final battle begin!"

"Pikachu I choose you!" Pikachu landed on the battlefield, determined to win for Ash.

"Let's do this Venusaur!" A squat, quadruped Pokémon with bumpy, blue-green skin. It has small, circular red eyes, a short, blunt snout, and a wide mouth with two pointed teeth in the upper jaw and four in the lower jaw. On top of its head are small, pointed ears with reddish pink insides. It has three clawed toes on each foot. The bud on its back has bloomed in a large pink, white-spotted flower. The flower is supported by a thick, brown trunk surrounded by green fronds.

"Venusaur, start off with Vine Whip!" The Seed Pokémon grunted and two forest green-colored vines sprouted from its bulb, heading towards Pikachu. Right before it landed on the yellow rodent, the vines expanded into two arcs, intending to surprise the opponent.

"Pikachu, dodge with Quick Attack!" Ash screamed. The Mouse Pokémon nodded and enveloped a white blur on his lower half of his body and careened towards the four-legged Pokémon. Not only did Pikachu manage to dodge the vines, but was able to land a hit on Venusaur.

Or he thought he did. Olivia smirked. "Venusaur, use Double-Edge!" Her Pokémon matched the smirk and was able to cut the distance, ramming Pikachu in a devastating manner. The yellow rodent was skyrocketing in the air. The damage seemed to be unreal to the referee and the audience watching, including the competitors that lost. But they didn't know Pikachu's strength.

Ash was calm. He knew Pikachu wasn't hurt badly but the electrical mouse had to get himself out of his current situation. "Pikachu, use Agility to get back to your senses and then follow it up with an Iron Tail!" The starter Pokémon heard his trainer's words and instantly increased his speed by straightening himself out and ran down to the battlefield and charged towards Venusaur. Then his tail enveloped in white and jumped 2 feet into the air and was ready to attack the Seed Pokémon.

Olivia gritted her teeth. "Venusaur, use Vine Whip again to catch Pikachu!" Her starter complied and grunted out its vines again with greater speed than the previous time due to that they went in a parallel motion. The female trainer was clenching her fist, hoping it would work.

Ash looked at the Vine Whip and smirked. He knew the next thing Pikachu would do and it would surprise his opponent. The yellow rodent spun itself to the right side of Venusaur and used Iron Tail to whack the side of the gigantic bulb. The Seed Pokémon roared in pain and struggled to not fall down. The bulb apparently was a soft spot for its kind and when physically hit, the pain was equivalent to an Aipom's tail getting stomped on.

"Venusaur! Are you ok?" The Seed Pokémon grunted out with a nod. It refused to give up on its trainer and concede to a pesky little rat! "Alright, use Synthesis."

The four-legged Pokémon glowed and felt pleasure washing its body. The bruise on its bulb faded but it was sure one of the vines won't be able to be of use for a while.

The Pallet Town trainer witnessed his opponent's Pokémon healing so he had already came up with his next move. "Alright Pikachu. While Venusaur is healing, I want you to charge as much electricity as you can."

The yellow rodent nodded and went down all fours. The red pouches attached to his adorable face cackled electricity. The electricity began building up more until it became a circle around the electrical mouse. The crowd murmured about Pikachu's amazing feat and some began recording it with their Poképhones.

Venusaur stopped the Synthesis and glared at its opponent. Olivia gained a determined look and balled her hand into a fist. "Venusaur, use Earthquake full power!" Her starter roared its name and stomped the ground harshly.

Ash wasn't prepared for this. He didn't expect Venusaur to throw out an Earthquake but then again, Pokémon could learn moves outside its type and he should have known better. Pikachu paid the price for the unexpected attack. His legs started shaking and due to him being vulnerable to ground-type attacks, it started grunting in pain. Had Pikachu not been experienced, he would have been knocked out. While the yellow rodent was holding his ground, a lone vine gripped his right arm badly.

Olivia smiled. Not in a mocking smile, but rather a confident smile. "Sorry Ash, but this battle is over. Venusaur finish Pikachu with a Solar Beam!" After the tectonic movement subsided, Venusaur's bulb glowed brightly and shiny particles from the air entered into the top of the bulb, forming a sphere.

While the Solar Beam was forming, Ash had to think quickly. He was known for thinking outside of the box on most of his battles and right now he couldn't think of any due to his concern of Pikachu. He noticed that Pikachu was still held onto the lone Vine Whip and remembered that electricity can connect through objects.

He shouted. "Pikachu, use Volt Tackle, full power!" The mouse cried and with his pent-up electricity, the Volt Tackle turned into a different color, surprising the audience, even Ash himself. He never knew Pikachu could change the color of his electricity. Unfortunately, Venusaur retracted its Vine Whip before the electricity connected and released the Solar Beam. However, both Venasaur and Olivia were stunned as Pikachu pushed through the white beam, nearing itself towards Venusaur.

 _BOOM!_

The dust cloud disintegrated after a while. The forest dinosaur Pokémon was twitching for a few seconds and gave in. It fell down with a big thud with swirls in its eyes. Ash sighed and Pikachu ran back to his trainer.

"Venusaur is unable to battle. The winner of the Nightfall tournament is Ash Ketchum!" The crowd roared at the Kanto-native trainer. Ash smiled and waved to his audience. "We did it Pikachu! Great work out there!" Pikachu cooed and snuggled into Ash's neck while he rested on his trainer's shoulder.

The trainer noticed Olivia walking up to him. She held out her hand. "It was a great battle, Ash. You've gotten strong. I can see how you made it to the Top 8 in the Hoenn League."

Ash smiled and accepted the handshake. "You're strong too, Olivia. Your Venusaur might destroy any Elite Four Pokémon actually."

She chuckled. "That's an overestimation don't you think? But I appreciate what you think of me." She gave him a peck on the cheek and walked out quickly. Ash was blushing up a storm. Pikachu snickered at his friend's flustered look.

The person with the suit from earlier walked up to Ash with a piece of paper and handed it to Ash. The Pallet Town trainer read it and his eyes had stars in them while his mouth drooled more than a Wailmer using Waterfall.

 _ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET FOR FREE AT THE TAURUSHOUSE_

The last thing the man saw was an afterimage of the trainer.

It was early morning and Ash was preparing himself to go home. With Pikachu on his shoulder and Pidgeot back in her PokéBall, he had decided to go by foot. He went through the same forest from yesterday and saw his house from up the hill. He decided to run there hoping he would see Mr. Mime.

"Mom! I'm home!" Ash yelled as he ran up to the porch. The door instantly opened and Ash was greeted by his mother's bosoms, his face embedded in them while he was struggling to break free from her grip.

"Oh Ash! You're finally home! Mommy's proud that you've won the Battle Frontier! And Pikachu! You are still a cute thing!" She had finally let go and Ash was able to regain his bearing while rubbing Pikachu's ears, eliciting a happy 'pika' from the yellow rodent.

"It's good to be back Mom," he said and told his adventures in detail. His mother was shocked when he told her what May did to him and she frowned deeply. She was disappointed that an aspiring Coordinator would do such a thing to her son!

"I can't believe she would say such nasty words! The nerve of that…" She sighed, her anger subsided and placed a hand on her son's shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that, Ash. How do you feel right now?"

The Kanto native trainer frowned. "I honestly feel… different. I was at first surprised at May's outburst, but then… it made me think about my journey and how I've trained my Pokémon. It was how I was able to win my rematch against the final Frontier Brain," Ash looked up to his mother. "I've realized how much I could have accomplished in Hoenn if I had traveled all by myself."

Delia's eyes widened. Her son's statement threw her off like a bug Pokémon using Whirlwind. "What are you talking about Ash? Having friends is what makes a trainer's adventure more fun."

Pikachu was also surprised. He enjoyed making friends… well he mostly loved Brock's cooking but having friends to travel with besides Ash was one of the best experiences ever. Hearing Ash of all people say this almost made the Mouse Pokémon fall out of his friend's shoulder.

"I know, Mom. I definitely needed Brock and Misty for Kanto and probably Johto but in Hoenn, I could have reached higher, possibly win the League too. I've also been neglecting my Pokémon lately and now I need to fix this mess," he declared. A resolved look rested on his eyes.

Delia shook her head. _'I should have known my little Ashy inherited his father's stubbornness.'_ She looked at the clock and gasped. "Oh my! I forgot to make breakfast. Ash, you should visit the professor while I go make your favorite breakfast," she suggested.

Ash's eyes brightened. "Wow! Thanks Mom, I can go visit my Pokémon too while visiting Professor Oak. Let's go Pikachu!"

"Pika!"

 **Oak's Lab**

"Wait… Ash are you serious? You're telling me you didn't beat one, two, but three legendaries?!" shouted the stunned Professor. When Ash had retold Oak his entire Battle Frontier adventure, he was amazed at the boy's growth in skill.

"Wow Ash! You've accomplished so much in a year!" said Tracey. He was also in the building and decided to catch up with his friend.

"Thanks guys. But it was all of my Pokémon that did the work," smiled Ash. The Kanto native trainer was always proud of his Pokémon.

Oak frowned. "I can't believe May would do something like that. I take pride in trainers, especially you Ash. You are one of my best trainers representing this region. What she said about you insults me too. I'm quite disappointed at her. Maybe I should tell Birch about this…"

Ketchum gained a half-smile. "I appreciate the support, Professor. Don't tell Birch about what happened. I don't want him to take her Pokémon away despite what she said to me." He then frowned. "In fact, I think she opened my eyes. I never had a chance to train my Pokémon as much when she traveled with me. On my next journey, I'm going to travel on my own so I can fix my mistakes."

The Professor almost had a heart attack. Tracey almost tripped himself. The two of them stared at the Kanto native trainer as if he was losing it.

"What do you mean? Traveling with people makes a trainer's journey more exciting. I know what happened between you and May was unfortunate but what about Brock and Misty? They've helped you when you started your journey nearly four years ago," said Oak.

Ash flinched when Brock and Misty were brought up. "You're right, they've helped me in my journey and if it weren't for them, I would have never come this far as a trainer… and a person," he said. His face went grim. "However, that doesn't matter right now. Despite what May said, I've thought about being independent on my journey since I came to Hoenn. I feel like I can get past Top 8 this time," his amber brown eyes glistened like a campfire.

Oak recognized that look. It was the same look he himself had when he was a young trainer. "Alright, I see your point, young man. I guess it's safe to tell you about the next region you should head next," Oak said.

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Another region? What's it called?"

"Gramps is talking about the Sinnoh region Ashy-Boy," came in a new, yet familiar voice. Ash turned around and saw his old rival/friend standing by the door. He was wearing a new outfit too. He abandoned his long purple shirt and instead wore a short-sleeved black shirt with the collars popped up. He replaced his black pants with purple pants with multiple pockets along with black shoes. He added purple armbands.

The Pallet Town trainer smiled at his arrival. "Hey Gary! It's been a while," he said as he walked up to his longtime friend and performed a manly hug with him.

"Hehe, I can say the same Ash. I heard about your recent accomplishments and it made me feel proud that the guy who defeated me in the Silver Conference has defeated three Legendary Pokémon," he chuckled. He also heard about what May did thanks to his grandfather and it dimmed his mood a bit. No one, not even Ashy-Boy deserved to get shot down like that. Heck, Ash himself was supportive of his friends' dreams and to have someone spitting it back at you is devastating.

Gary continued, "Anyway, like I said Ash, Gramps is suggesting you should head to the Sinnoh region. The region has eight gyms like the other three and a league. The Elite Four and Champion on the other hand, are very strong. Heck, I might think the Sinnoh Champion might give Lance a run for his own money. There are over one hundred Pokémon and some are Pre-Evolved and Post-Evolved forms of other native Pokémon that are native to Sinnoh. I'll show you one right now, Electivire, come on out!"

Ash was surprised by the Pokémon's appearance. Electivire was a humanoid creature covered in yellow fur with black stripes. It appeared to lack a neck, and had red eyes, a black spot on its forehead, and a pair of antennae with bulbous tips. A pattern on Electivire's back resembled an electric outlet. The fur on its cheeks and shoulders was spiky and ruffled. Its two black tails had red tips. The Thunderbolt Pokémon had black feet with three, clawed toes, and five black fingers on each of its hands.

Ash attempted to scan Electivire with his Pokédex but the screened displayed 'No Data'. He remembered that he didn't update his Pokédex and will do so later. When he looked close at the humanoid creature, he felt that the Pokémon was somewhat familiar.

He looked at Gary. "Is Electivire one of those "Post-Evolved" forms of another Pokémon? This one reminds me of Electabuzz," he said.

Gary smirked. "I guess you're smarter than what you give credit for Ash. You are correct. Electivire is the evolved form of our Kanto Pokémon Electabuzz. Just like when you go to Johto, you see the Pre-Evolved Elekid or Pichu."

Tracey was busy with himself sketching the newly debuted Electivire while Oak smiled proudly. Ash then asked another question. "What do you mean the Sinnoh Champion might be able to beat Lance? Lance is the Champion of Kanto and Johto."

Before Gary could retort, Samuel Oak interjected. "I believe Gary said that because not even the strongest Elite Four member could beat her Garchomp, which is a Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon in the Sinnoh region. The gap between the Champion and Elite Four in the Sinnoh region is huge. However, I believe someone of your caliber will conquer that region," he stated.

Ash couldn't stop that trademark grin crawling up to his face from hearing Professor Oak having that much faith in him. "Thanks for giving me confidence, Professor. I won't let you and Pallet Town down. I will win the Sinnoh League!" Fire blazed in Ash's eyes once more. His new resolve brought a new form of determination, coursing through his veins.

"Well, if you want a good start on Sinnoh Ashy-Boy, you wanna battle like old times? Electivire needs the exercise." The Thunderbolt Pokémon was flexing his arms up.

Ketchum grinned. "I was gonna say the same thing."

 **Lab Field**

"Let's do this, Pikachu!" The yellow rodent leapt through the air and landed in a 'ta-da' motion. "I'll let you have the first move Gary."

"Alright Ash, but don't cry when Pikachu gets fried. Electivire, use Thunderpunch!" The Thunderbolt Pokémon roared out his name and held out his enclosed right arm. Vicious electricity sparked out of his arm and began charging towards Pikachu with the intention to knock him out with one hit.

Ash didn't have to command as Pikachu simply leapt into the air and smacked away the Thunderpunch with his own electric-coated tail. Then the yellow rodent used his Agility to dive towards an astonished Electivire. He then switched his position from head to tail. The result gave a satisfying smacking noise.

Pikachu landed on the ground in all fours. Electivire was on one knee from the impact.

The new professor gritted his teeth. _'How is that possible?!'_ He ordered another command. "Thunder on the ground!"

The motor Pokémon chanted his namesake and manipulated his electricity towards the ground. The thunder had spread like routes.

Ash was calm. "Stand with your tail Pikachu," he ordered. The rodent did as he was told. The tail began taking in the electricity and redirected it to the air.

Gary was astonished. "W-What?! How is that possible?" He immediately told Electivire to stop using Thunder.

The trainer of Pallet Town smirked. "Let's just say Pikachu isn't vulnerable to electric-type moves anymore." Ash then looked up and saw the thunder coming back from the clouds. "And now you'll witness one of my tricks."

The thunder had struck Pikachu. All of the thunder did not once hurt the rodent one bit. A moment later, Pikachu glowed; the light increasing to the point where both trainers and Electivire were blinded by it.

The light dimmed down. When Gary opened his eyes, his jaw dropped at what he was witnessing. Electivire also shared his trainer's astonishment.

Pikachu was covered in a familiar metal coating. His fur and electric pouches were coated with gold.

"W-What is this?" asked Gary. He could not fathom the stunt Ash had pulled against him.

His opponent smirked. "This is what I used in my gym battle back in Hoenn. I dubbed it the Thunder Armor."

From afar, Professor Oak watched the battle with keen interest and jotted down some notes of what Ash had discovered. _'That boy will make me a millionaire with these discoveries!'_ he thought excitedly as he put away his notepad.

Gary shook his head. Only his childhood friend would think unorthodoxly. "Well, if you're gonna do that, then two will play that game. Electivire, charge up your Thunder and use Thunder Punch!" The electric creature growled and electricity exploded on his forearm. He began running towards Pikachu.

However, once Electivire and his trainer blinked, the rodent disappeared! Gary looked at Ash and was annoyed by the teen's smirk.

"You should turn around," When they did, they saw Pikachu charging like a Taurus. "Attack head on!"

"Electivire, PROTECT!" Gary shouted desperately.

A green aura covered Electivire but before it could fully form, Pikachu had bursted through with his Agility. Electivire began showing fear for the first time in his life. His arrogance got the better of him and now he was paying for it dearly.

Losing to a rodent…

A rodent…

Ash wrapped his right hand into a fist and held it up. "Finish this with Iron Tail!" Ash didn't want to risk using electric-type moves against a Pokémon he had no knowledge of.

Pikachu in his golden might, glowed a golden metallic tail at his backside and thrashed it against the unfortunate Motor Pokémon. The impact had blown back the larger Pokémon and made him crash next to his trainer's feet; swirly eyes plastered on his face.

Gary grunted and recalled Electivire back into his PokéBall. He walked up to Ash and held out his hand. "That was a good battle, Ash. You really improved quite a lot from the Johto League."

Ash accepted his childhood friend's handshake. "You've improved too, Gary. I guess doing research hasn't hindered your training one bit," he joked.

"My my, Ashy-boy use fancy words? The world's falling apart!" Oak's grandson teased.

That emanated a growl from his rival. "Oh shut it Gare-Bear…" he muttered. Gary chuckled.

Professor Oak walked up while clapping his hands. "That was an excellent match! You boys certainly can take on the Elite Four. I'm sure of it," he chuckled.

Gary formed his trademark smirk. "Elite Four you say Gramps? I don't know about Ash over there, but I'm sure I can easily defeat them, maybe even the Champion!"

Ash rolled his eyes. _'Maybe if I trained harder…'_ he shook his head from that thought. Dwelling on the past won't help him with his dream.

"Don't get too overconfident, Gary. That certainly won't help you," the Professor lightly scolded his grandson.

"I could, Gramps! Well, I have to go back to Sinnoh. I still need to keep up on becoming a Professor. I'll see you around, Ash!"

He walked away with a wave. Ash smiled and waved back.

"So Ash, are you planning on going to Sinnoh soon?" Samuel asked.

"Of course, but I think I'm going to stay back for a while. I want to train and bond with my Pokémon actually."

That surprised the Professor. _'He usually just goes to the next adventure. Maybe he's actually taking this seriously. I'm curious if he'll win the Sinnoh League.'_

"If that's the case, let me know when you're ready to leave." With that, Oak walked away back to his office.

Ash looked at Pikachu. "Let's go see our friends, buddy."

"Pika!" His first Pokémon sparked with excitement.

 **That wraps up this Chapter! This actually took a year to develop! Also, if you're wondering, yes Olivia is "Leaf" of the Pokémon games. It didn't take long to think of a realistic name for her.**

 **I'll try to get Chapter 5 in. Plus, I think I'll fix up the first two chapters.**


End file.
